WSU provost leaves, students in dark about why

Remember when Steven Hoch took a job as provost at Washington State University not long ago?

Steven Hoch

That didn’t last too long.

The former dean of arts and sciences at the University of Kentucky slipped quietly away from WSU and back to Lexington — and students are demanding to know what’s going on.

According to The Seattle Times, it’s not a pretty story. It seems there was a power struggle between Hoch and other higher-ups, and there might have even been a hallway tussle at one point.

This is from an editorial in WSU’s student paper, published a few days ago:

President Elson S. Floyd’s declaration of transparency suffers every day the university carries on with no information about the provost. It has been two weeks since Provost Steve Hoch abruptly left, and there is still no information about why he left or when he’ll be back, if ever.

A major state university willingly withholding important information from students, faculty and alumni is unacceptable. Public officials cannot just walk away from their jobs without explanation.

Update: A WSU spokesman released the following statement Friday afternoon.

President Elson S. Floyd said today that, after discussions with deans, members of the senior faculty, vice presidents and others, he has decided that it is not in the best interest of WSU that Dr. Hoch returns as provost. He and Dr. Hoch discussed the change today.

Dr. Hoch’s position as provost will end Oct. 31. He has a tenured professorship role with the university; his status as a professor in the Department of History will commence on Nov. 1.